NRL GRAND FINAL FORMAT 2017

How to watch: The grand final will be broadcast live on Channel Nine. Foxsports.com.au will be blogging the game and providing comprehensive commentary, stats, and video updates in our Match Centre.

Time: The official kick off time on NRL.com is 7.15pm on Sunday, from ANZ Stadium.

Tickets: Tickets to the grand final can be purchased through ticketek.com.au and gates open at 1.15pm. The Holden Cup grand final and then State Championship game will be played prior to the pre-game entertainment.

Entertainment: The NRL has booked Grammy winner Macklemore who will fly over from America for a one-off engagement. A previous winner of the Triple J hottest 100 countdown with Thrift Shop, Macklemore recently released a new album – Gemini – with hit song Glorious topping the charts. “It’ll be one of the largest crowds I’ve performed for thus far and my only show in Australia this year. I’m humbled to have the opportunity to reach such a large, enthusiastic NRL audience,” Macklemore said.

NRL GRAND FINAL HISTORY

Cronulla went into this finals series as the reigning premiers but were unable to make history to go back-to-back.

No side has successfully defended a premiership since 1997/98, with the Broncos winning the Super League title before climbing the mountain again in the first year of unified competition after the Super League war.

You have to go back all the way to 1992/93 for the last time a side (once again Wayne Bennett’s Broncos) has won back-to-back unified competitions.

That’s not the only quirk of history that has shaped this season’s finals series, with the current finals system starting to set a pattern for winners since 2012.

That was the first season the AFL’s system was adopted, whereby each of the top four teams get a double chance, while 5-8 kick off their playoffs campaign with elimination games.

The Storm won the 2012 premiership after qualifying second, with the Roosters the only side to have won the minor premiership before backing it up in the big dance (2013) within the current finals system.

Over the last three seasons the team which has finished third has gone on to win the title, with the Rabbitohs starting that trend in 2014 before being followed by the Cowboys (2015) and the Sharks (2016).

The Cowboys are the only side since 2012 to have lost a final (they went down 16-12 to the Broncos in their 2015 qualifying final) before bouncing back to win the title.

NRL Premiers

YEAR

PREMIERS

SCORE

RUNNERS-UP

1998

Broncos

38-12

Bulldogs

1999

Storm

20-18

Dragons

2000

Broncos

14-6

Roosters

2001

Knights

30-24

Eels

2002

Roosters

30-8

Warriors

2003

Panthers

18-6

Roosters

2004

Bulldogs

16-13

Roosters

2005

Tigers

30-16

Cowboys

2006

Broncos

15-8

Storm

2007

Storm

34-8

Sea-Eagles

2008

Sea-Eagles

40-0

Storm

2009

Storm

23-16

Eels

2010

Dragons

32-8

Roosters

2011

Sea-Eagles

24-10

Warriors

2012

Storm

14-4

Bulldogs

2013

Roosters

26-18

Sea-Eagles

2014

Rabbitohs

30-6

Bulldogs

2015

Cowboys

17-16

Broncos

2016

Sharks

14-12

Storm

players to watch

Arguably one of the greatest players of all time, Cameron Smith will lead the Storm into their fifth grand final under his captaincy. An Australia and Queensland representative, Smith has achieved all there is in the game, and will undoubtedly be hungry for another premiership ring come this Sunday.

An Australian international and Queensland State of Origin representative fullback, Slater has played his whole NRL career to date at Melbourne, with whom he set the club record for most ever tries and NRL record for most ever tries by a fullback. Slater has amassed 182 NRL tries during his career which is currently 2nd most of all time, behind Ken Irvine.

Cronk is a two-time winner of the Dally M medal, which is annually awarded to the best and fairest player in the NRL. He is the current Australian international and Queensland State of Origin representative halfback and has played his entire NRL career to date at the Storm, with whom he won the 2012 NRL Grand final.

Fox Sports commentators Steve Roach and Greg Alexander labelled him the “best halfback in the game” after he steered North Queensland to the unlikely qualifying final win over the Roosters. That’s just a couple of months after many were questioning his ability to control a game in the absence of Johnathan Thurston. Morgan can win the grand final off his own boot.

A New Zealand and Tongan international representative, Taumalolo primarily plays at second-row and lock. He was a member of the Cowboys’ 2015 NRL premiership and 2016 World Club Challenge winning sides and was the Dally M Medal winner in 2016.

Coote made his Cowboys debut in round 3 of the 2015 season, and featured at fullback for every minute of all 26 of their remaining games. His potency in attack and support play, along with his kicking game and incredible safety in defence and under the ball, adds a formidable dimension to the already well equipped Cowboys’ side.